Students Build Greenest Home in Canada

What’s planned for construction by students on an infill lot and aiming to meet the Living Building Challenge with LEED Platinum certification? That would be Canada’s Greenest Home in Ontario. Students enrolled in The Endeavour Centre’s Sustainable New Construction: Building a New Future program will build the 2,000 square-foot home during a five-month period this summer. The home is expected to use a fraction of the energy of a conventional home and will have an energy-efficient foundation, prefabricated straw bale walls, grid-tied photovoltaics, solar hot water, rainwater collection, greywater recycling, composting toilets, and natural paints and finishes. Canada’s Greenest Home will go on sale at the end of the program and proceeds will be used to help offset tuition costs. Before that, though, there’s a lot to follow — including a blog with student feedback and comment...